Yep, babies are everywhere. They seem to be all I can think about lately. No, I’m not pregnant (as we joyfully have our hands full with sweet baby Sutton), but it seems that all of my girlfriends, coworkers or family members are expecting a visit from the stork. Even my very best friend is pregnant with her first child! As Sutton continues to grow into a strong, smart and capable baby boy, I couldn’t think of a more special time to share the gift of health with all those pregnant or who have recently had a baby. Whether your baby spent 71 days in the NICU or went home after 71 hours, it’s so important to share knowledge and offer education. With text4baby, that’s easier than ever. Presented by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) and sponsored by Johnson and Johnson, text4baby (http://text4baby.org/) utilizes text messaging to improve maternal and newborn health via your cell phone. Despite decades of public health outreach and education, more than 500,000 babies are born prematurely and an estimated 28,000 children die before their first birthday each year in the U.S. To help pregnant women and new moms get information about caring for their health and giving their babies the best possible start in life, text4baby offers the first health text messaging service in the U.S. This great initiative supports moms by providing accurate, text-length health information and resources by sending mothers three text messages per week until their baby is one year old. Text4baby even offers a weekly newsletter, provides helpful contact numbers and has fun contests that allow all moms to get involved. It’s simple and easy to sign up, and the best part is it’s FREE and won’t take away from your text message limit (penny pinchers, anyone?). To register, just text the word BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to the number 511411. Enjoy!

Good evening! I hope all of you had a beautiful weekend, and all the fathers out there were celebrated and pampered. This weekend was quite busy in the Lubin household, but I didn't forget about any of you. Thank you all so much for your inquiries, emails and care packages. I just keep receiving so much love from all of the followers of His Middle Name, as this initiative keeps tumbling forward with all the life each of you breathe into it. My thank yous will never be enough.With that said, there was much to celebrate and be thankful for in our home, as this weekend marked Brad's first official Father's Day. Last year on Father's Day, Brad and I shared the news of our pregnancy with our families and friends, as it marked my entrance into the second trimester. Oh, how I did not see all that would transpire ... and how much would change in one year's time! It was a beautiful day in the city on Sunday, and Sutton and I awoke extra early to prepare the day. We wanted to make sure Brad's first Father's Day was one to remember. With cards, gifts and treats all displayed to greet him once he woke up, Brad was really caught off guard and was so surprised! We then took Sutton and Otis (our dog/Sutton's older brother) out to breakfast at our favorite breakfast nook, and strolled through the park. As morning turned into afternoon, I began to prepare for a Father's Day dinner we were hosting. Brad's Mom and Dad came over to celebrate with us, and I made my now famous beef brisket, mashed potatoes, asparagus, country summer salad and biscuits. I also made chocolate cream pie (Brad's favorite), and was snap happy with the camera. Here are a few photos from Brad's first, and very special, Father's Day.

Good evening dear family, friends, Facebookers and followers of His Middle Name. I'm loving this summer so far! It was a perfect sunny day with a beautiful breeze, and I ran around the city in my sundress and couldn't get enough! I guess I am just having one of those moments where I feel so blessed to have another day, and there are endless people to thank for that. One of the many people I would love to thank, and will never get the chance to, is the individual who donated the blood that saved my life when I had Sutton via emergency c-section. My husband Brad is also a hero in my eyes, as he donated blood each and every time Sutton needed a blood transfusion. For him, it wasn't even a second thought. I remember the day after I had Sutton waking up to Brad saying he was leaving to go to the Red Cross to donate for our son, while I had an I.V. in my arm receiving life saving blood. It was, and still is, so amazing to me that others are able to do this for perfect strangers. I never realized what a special gift it was - the gift of life. The gift of blood. June 14, 2011, marks World Blood Donor Day. This is such a beautiful day dedicated to thanking and celebrating voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors. Millions of people owe their lives to people they will never meet – people who donate their blood freely and without any reward. The enthusiasm and energy with which this day has been celebrated in past years is remarkable, as many people have carved out time in their busy day to donate blood or plasma. It is also an opportunity to give thanks and honor the many generous people who give the precious gift of blood. Tomorrow's the day to do it folks, so let's make a difference in somebody's life and give the most beautiful gift of all: the gift of life. To find out more information on World Blood Donor Day or to find a blood drive or donation station in your area, please click the link below:

The 2011 Holistic Health Fair is being held this year in Philadelphia, and since the Northeast is my home, I thought I'd spread the word! This year's event is being hosted at the beautiful Deliverance Evangelistic Church grounds, and will feature many health freebies including health screenings, seminars, preventative health recommendations, informational booths and even activities for children. Being hosted by Senator Shirley M. Kitchen and Fox Chase Cancer Center, the region's first women's cancer center and a pioneer in cancer treatment, research and prevention, this year's slogan is "Reaching the Community by Teaching Prevention and bringing Wholeness and Health to the Body." Well, well - His Middle Name couldn't think of a better way to kick off the summer than by posting one of the featured events!Ask 4 UFE (http://www.ask4ufe.com/) is a leader as an informational resource regarding the treatment of Uterine Fibroid Tumors. With a complete team of specialists and Interventional Radiologists, Ask 4 UFE focuses on a new, minimally invasive procedure termed Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE). UFE is a procedure that blocks the blood supply to the uterine fibroids, causing them to shrink, by having small plastic particles inserted into the arteries that supply blood flow to the tumor. As one of the alternatives to hysterectomy procedures, UFE is clinically proven to reduce the major symptoms of fibroid tumors. The following is information on their free event being held at the Holistic Health Fair: Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

“A Women’s Fibroid Seminar” - An informative discussion about the causes, symptoms and treatment options available for uterine fibroid tumors hosted by Brady Einstein, MD. Scheduled for Saturday, June 11, 2011, in the main sanctuary of the Holistic Health Fair grounds in Philadelphia, PA, beginning at 1:00p.m. Interested individuals should register in advance to reserve a seat. To register or to find out if you are a candidate for UFE, please call (267) 702-3208.

I have been holding my cards a little close to my chest the last two weeks, but now I'm ready to play my ace! I was interviewed a couple of weeks ago by one of my favorite websites, Fibroid Relief, regarding my experience with Uterine Fibroid Tumors and how the His Middle Name cause came to be. Fibroid Relief (http://fibroidrelief.org/) gives women afflicted with fibroid tumors an opportunity to educate themselves by offering information about fibroids, treatment options, patient resources, community message boards and meet and greets. His Middle Name has even featured a few of their events! Because fibroids affect so many women of childbearing age, Fibroid Relief is designating the month of June as "Fibroids and Fertility Month" by featuring a different guest blogger each week. And guess who gets to kick off such a wonderful initiative? That's right! His Middle Name is honored to be the first story and websitefeatured as a recommended resource on Fibroid Relief, one of the premier support sites for sufferers of fibroid tumors. This is a fantastic opportunity to go to that next level and reach more women and parents from a larger platform. Hip hip hooray!I would especially like to thank Tina Krall, Executive Director of Fibroid Relief and Tracey Daniels, Patient Support Outreach Associate of Fibroid Relief for taking their time to get to know me and Sutton, and choosing His Middle Name to be their headliner.

I’m a southern gal to the core who lives for my family, has a serious weakness for chocolate, a penchant for anything that can be monogrammed and loves to craft and sew. Thank you for your interest and welcome to His Middle Name!